BENNINGTON — The driver of a tractor-trailer truck injured when his vehicle flipped and went through a guard rail and over an embankment on a treacherous stretch of Vermont Route 9 in Bennington is facing a criminal charge.

Vermont State Police said Friday that 49-year-old Willie J. Barnfield, of Stone Mountain, Ga., was cited on a charge of gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle after the Thursday afternoon crash.

Police say Barnfield’s vehicle had major defects that would have contributed to the crash.

Barnfield told police he had brake problems before the crash. Barnfield was hospitalized with injuries to his head, arm and knee. Police say he remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Barnfield is due in court in January. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.